A 92-year-old pensioner who allegedly stabbed his wife 76 times as he killed her is not fit to be admitted to an aged-care facility, a court has heard.
Francesco Dimasi, who is bedridden, suffers from dementia and is receiving palliative care, was excused from attending an Adelaide Magistrates Court hearing on Thursday as his mental and physical states continue to deteriorate.
The great grandfather is charged with one count of murder over the stabbing death of his wife of 50 years Maria ‘Nonna’ Dimasi on December 2, 2023.
Prosecutors opposed Dimasi’s bid for release on bail to an aged care facility, the Advertiser reported.
The court heard that before allegedly killing his wife, Dimasi had been diagnosed with vascular dementia and experiencing increased paranoia and verbal aggression.
The court also heard that he had some physical difficulties at the time of the alleged murder, including that he was using a walker and needed some care assistance.
‘The defendant, in my submission, has gone and committed an extremely violent offence, the post-mortem which has been received in the case, the deceased had 76 sharp-force injuries on her body,’ the prosecutor told Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribral.
Francesco Dimasi (right) is charged with one count of murder over the stabbing death of his wife Maria Dimasi (left) on December 2, 2023
Mrs Dimasi (pictured) allegedly suffered 76 ‘sharp-force injuries’, the court heard
Dimasi’s lawyer Trish Johnson told the court that her client was unable to get the aged pension while in custody which meant he could not apply for a place at a suitable aged care home, the ABC reported.
Medical experts and the Department of Corrections provided reports saying Dimasi would best be cared for at a ‘high needs aged care facility’ due to his declining health, the court heard.
Judge Hribal said she would be prepared to grant bail to a suitable aged care facility but needed more information and ordered a bail report to address whether Dimasi could get a pension and if a high-needs aged care facility place was available for him.
The court had previously heard that Dimasi rang triple-0, saying he had allegedly killed his wife.
It’s understood Mrs Dimasi had earlier returned home from a community event.
Police allegedly found a kitchen knife and a ‘significant’ amount of blood when they arrived at the scene.
Dimasi had a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit and allegedly told police his wife ‘deserved it’, the court heard.
The prosecutor said Dimasi was being kept ‘under guard’ in hospital, with interventions required once or twice a week because he sometimes ‘lashed out’ with ‘some strength’ at nursing staff performing personal care tasks.
But Ms Johnson argued that her client was ‘not a danger to anybody’.
‘He will lash out, but he’s not strong enough to do anybody any harm,’ she told the court.
Maria ‘Nonna’ Dimasi (left) is pictured with chef Maggie Beer and grandson Stefan Dimasi
The judge ordered that Dimasi not be released from custody, even if released on bail, until room was made for him in an appropriate facility.
Earlier in June, Mrs Dimasi’s children issued a statement thanking the community for their support.
‘As you can appreciate, our family is still devastated by the way in which our mother lost her life, we’re still grieving and missing her immensely,’ they said.
Dimasi’s case will return to court next month.
His wife’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes from everyone who knew her.
Mrs Dimasi, better known in the Adelaide’s Italian community as ‘Nonna Maria’, was a beloved cook who would always make meals for the vulnerable.
She volunteered her time at her grandson’s kitchen Nonna’s Cucina – a community-based meal service which provides meals to those recovering from illness or medical treatment, the elderly and people with disabilities.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas were among those who paid glowing tributes to Ms Dimasi at the time.
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